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News18
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Priya Prakash Varrier On Breaking 'Wink Girl' Tag With Tamil Debut: 'Right Things Happen At The Right Time'
After going viral in 2018 with a single wink, Priya Prakash Varrier took her time before making her debut in Tamil cinema. It's not every day that a wink turns into a nationwide sensation, but for Priya Prakash Varrier, it happened overnight. In 2018, a single moment from the Malayalam film Oru Adaar Love catapulted her into the limelight, flooding social media feeds and headlines alike. But virality can be both a blessing and a burden, Priya reveals in her conversation with CNN-News 18, after the success of her recent release Good Bad Ugly, starring Ajith Kumar in the lead role. Priya has taken her first significant steps into Tamil cinema after six years after going viral. Though delayed, she has entered the industry, not with one, but two back-to-back projects — Neek opposite Dhanush and GBU with Ajith Kumar. In this candid conversation, she opens up about the long wait, the overwhelming attention, comparisons with Simran, and how she's working to move beyond the 'wink girl" tag. Honestly, I think it was just about waiting for the right script. I truly believe the right things happen at the right time. And now, it feels like everything's coming together — Neek happened, and then GBU followed. It's like the stars aligned. I've been listening to scripts all along, but it's rare to find stories that make you say, 'I can't miss this." That's exactly how I felt when I heard Neek and GBU. Both felt like the perfect launchpads for my Tamil debut. You made your Tamil debut with two of the biggest names in the industry — Dhanush and Ajith. Let's start with Neek. Why do you think Dhanush wanted you for that character? You know, I haven't actually asked him that (laughs). He invited me to meet him in Chennai, and when we spoke, he said, 'I feel like you're perfect for Preeti. I really want you on board." And for someone like him to say that — it felt huge. He has a brilliant eye for talent, so I just trusted his instinct. When big stars approach you for a film, is it an automatic yes, or do you weigh your role carefully? Oh, absolutely I weigh it. Just because a big name is attached doesn't mean you can walk in and walk out. For Neek and GBU, I genuinely loved the characters — Preeti and Nitya. I feel like both films wouldn't have been complete without them, and that's why I said yes. Are you someone who plans your career moves meticulously, or do you go with the flow? I've always been spontaneous. I don't sit and plan things like, 'These are the kinds of films I will or won't do." I look at what comes my way and pick what feels right. There's buzz that Neek 2 is in the works. Any confirmation? I really don't know. I hope it happens! There are some wild theories — like the entire sequel taking place in a plane. That would be fun, right? But I haven't asked Dhanush sir about it yet. Now let's talk about GBU. What did director Adhik tell you when he pitched the film? He was very straightforward. He said, 'It's an Ajith sir film, so obviously other characters won't have a lot of screen time. But your role is pivotal — a major twist in the story comes through your character." That honesty really made me want to do it. There's a retro song in GBU, Sulthana, which has gone viral since the film's release. Had you heard it before you did the film? I had heard the song but never watched the original video. I only saw it just before the dance rehearsals began. I didn't want to stress myself out early on. I watched it a few times and then just focused on enjoying the process. People are comparing you to Simran because of that song. How do you feel about that? I think it's an unfair comparison — Simran ma'am is in a league of her own. She has an aura that's untouchable. But I'm happy people liked the song and had kind things to say. That itself means a lot. What's your take on old songs making a comeback in modern films? I love it! As a 2K kid, I wouldn't have discovered these classics otherwise. So it's amazing that they're being brought back. Even in GBU, there's a song called O Taruba that I hadn't heard before. Now it's on my playlist. Did Simran reach out to you about the tribute? Yeah! I had tagged her on Instagram when I shared a story. She replied saying she loved it. That message meant the world to me. GBU is not a conventional film — more like a fan tribute. Did you enjoy such ventures? I had an absolute blast. Honestly, I wouldn't have understood all the references if I hadn't seen memes beforehand! Some of them helped explain deeper or hidden nods, and that made watching the film even more fun. There's that adage — 'Don't meet your idols." Was working with Ajith intimidating? Not at all. In fact, it was the opposite. I wasn't just not disappointed — I was in awe of him. Not just the actor, but the human being. He's incredibly humble. I only got a little time with him, but it was so special. Was Ajith surprised by the craziness of GBU — the songs, the fanservice? Not really. I think he just gave Adhik complete freedom. He trusted the process, and that's what makes him who he is. You became instantly famous because of that one viral moment. Has that been a blessing or a burden? It's both, to be honest. It gave me recognition, but it also made people bitter. Some felt like it wasn't fair because others struggle for years. I get that. But the downside was the negativity that followed. Still, it gave me a platform, and for that, I'm grateful. Has it been hard to move past the 'wink girl" image? Yes, and I always knew it would be. I had to do something bigger to break that mold — and I think GBU helped me do that. First Published:
Indian Express
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Priya Prakash Varrier recalls facing hatred after viral wink: ‘People felt I gained overnight what others worked years for'
There's no other expression better than 'an overnight sensation' to describe Priya Prakash Varrier's foray into the spotlight. Just an aspiring actor till the previous day, Priya's life changed dramatically on February 9, 2018, with the release of the video song 'Manikya Malaraya Poovi' from director Omar Lulu's Oru Adaar Love, which was under production at that time. Her playful wink at the character Roshan Abdul Rahoof played won over millions of netizens' hearts, and the 18-year-old actor became a national crush almost instantaneously. Her popularity grew to such heights that Oru Adaar Love's makers reportedly changed the entire storyline to bring her character, who initially did not have much prominence, to the centre of the narrative, thus even sidelining the actual female lead character. However, like any other trend, it took Priya Prakash Varrier too quite some time to shake off its lingering aftereffects and break free from it. Although she received opportunities to work in various major film industries in the country, including Bollywood, the actor recently admitted that the sensational wink, albeit beneficial for her at first, indeed affected her career as it created a sense of hatred towards her for many. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEO Mentioning that a false perception about her had formed among the public from the very beginning, Priya Prakash Varrier stated that this resulted in people feeling hostility towards her. Maintaining that this eventually snowballed into hatred, she revealed that this caused a shift in the attitude of both the industry and the general public towards her. Watch Priya Prakash Varrier's 'Manikya Malaraya Poovi' song here: 'Somewhere along the way, a preconceived notion was created about me that I am unapproachable, have an attitude, or demand a high remuneration. It might have stemmed from the hostility that came as part of the 'wink sensation'. People felt that I had achieved overnight what others struggled for years to attain. So naturally, questions like 'what did she do to get that?' or 'does she even deserve it?' started coming up, leading to a general sense of resentment against me. I can understand that,' she said during a chat with Cue Studio. The actor added, 'But over time, that resentment turned into hatred. No matter what I did, that negativity persisted, and eventually, it began affecting my career. It might have slowly influenced how people and the industry saw me as well.' Last seen in director Adhik Ravichandran's Ajith Kumar -starrer Good Bad Ugly (2025), Priya Prakash Varrier is awaiting the release of Abbas–Mustan's 3 Monkeys in which she has played a key role alongside Arjun Rampal.
Hindustan Times
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Priya Prakash Varrier almost in tears at event, thought Vijay ‘appreciated' her for Good Bad Ugly: ‘This is too much'
Actor Priya Prakash Varrier was at an event recently when she almost fell for an AI video of Vijay 'appreciating' her performance in the recently released Good Bad Ugly. The actor even asked the show's organisers to replay the video before she was told that it was a prank. Here's how she reacted. (Also Read: Vijay and Ajith Kumar's fans beat each other up at Good Bad Ugly screening in Kerala. Here's why) In a video of Priya doing the rounds online, the host tells her they have something special in store. Then they play a video of Vijay praising her for recreating Simran's moves in Good Bad Ugly. A shocked Priya looks overwhelmed and is moved to tears, asking them to replay the video for her. 'Is this true? Please play it again,' she asks. However, the host clarifies the video is AI-generated, saying, 'Sorry, this is not real,' telling her she has every right to be mad at those whose idea it was to play the video. Taken aback by that, Priya smiles awkwardly and says, 'This is too much…it's really wrong, it's unfair. I was almost in tears.' The real video used in the morphing is from Vijay's IT Wing administrators' virtual meeting last week. According to the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) IT wing's X (formerly Twitter) account, he addressed the gathering in a pre-recorded video and called them 'virtual warriors'. For the uninitiated, Priya gained fame in 2019 when a scene from her debut film Oru Adaar Love went viral. After that, she was even referred to as the 'wink girl'. Since then, she has acted in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam. She also starred in the Hindi film Yaariyan 2 in 2023. Priya was most recently seen in Adhik Ravichandran's Good Bad Ugly with Ajith Kumar, Trisha Krishnan and Arjun Das. She recreated Simran's classic song Tak Tak Pesum Sultana and received appreciation for it.
News18
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Priya Prakash Varrier EXCLUSIVE: 'It's Unfair To Compare Me With Simran Ma'am' WATCH
Priya Prakash Varrier went viral for her wink in the 2019 Malayalam film Oru Adaar Love. She has again taken the internet by storm with her role in Ajith Kumar's Good Bad Ugly, where she has recreated an iconic song of Simran. Talking to CNN-News18 Showsha's Kirubhakar Purushothaman, the actress opens about working with Ajith, being compared to Simran, and the possibility of joining hands with Dhanush again. Watch the full interview right here. bollywood news | entertainment news live | latest bollywood news | bollywood | news18 | n18oc_moviesLiked the video? Please press the thumbs up icon and leave a comment. Subscribe to Showsha YouTube channel and never miss a video: Showsha on Instagram: Showsha on Facebook: Showsha on X: Showsha on Snapchat: entertainment and lifestyle news and updates on:
